Greenland - What a Wonderful World

Travel news from Greenland

No. 2 Volume 2, June 1996

Current information for the travel industry


This information is provided by Greenland Tourism a/s, the official tourist board of Greenland


Politicians continue to support tourism
Did you know
M/S Disko to return to Greenland as a tourist ship
The role of Greenland Tourism in the future
Greenland Tourism expands its board
New hotel on Disko Island
New conference and congress organiser in Greenland
Three new offers for touring hikers
News in brief
Co-operation on cruise with a Viking theme
How is the '96 season shaping up?
Freak Greenland weather
This year's tourism prize
Hunting for ruby-red tugtupite
Wishes granted on the Internet



Tourism does not develop by itself, and certainly not in Greenland. There were many ifs and buts when the current development was started in 1992. Now the political readiness to make major investments is an important signal to private businesses at home and abroad that it makes good sense to invest in tourism in Greenland in the long term - and a signal to tour operators that it makes sense to invest in marketing and sales of trips to Greenland.

Kim Folmann Jørgensen
Director, Greenland Tourism a/s



Politicians continue to support tourism

Tourism was given a considerable boost when the Greenlandic Parliament (Landsting) approved the government's statement on tourism policy at its Spring Assembly on 19 April.

All the parties agreed to expand the facilities for tourists and operators within the Greenlandic tourist sector and tourism will be one of the three central pillars upon which the country's economy is to be based in the coming years, alongside fisheries and the extraction of raw materials.

The three elements which make up the overall objective of the statement are foreign currency earnings of DKK 500 million per year, the building up of a tourism industry which is appropriate to the environment and the culture of the country and establishing local competence which ensures the greatest possible employment effect. The condition for reaching this aim is a figure of 61,000 tourists annually from the year 2005, and an expected 2,000 people working in the tourism sector in that year.

The Landsting agreed to implement a wide range of social measures in order to maintain the positive rate of development in the coming years. Since 1992 the number of tourists has risen by approx. 400%, but with an expected 16,000 visitors this year the current production capacity is virtually fully utilised.

Investment of DKK 500 million

The political camp has demonstrated the will to make substantial investments in the years ahead. This applies in particular to the development of the infrastructure, training and financing schemes. At present there are no government financing schemes for tourism such as those found within the fisheries and sheep farming sectors. It was therefore a crucial step when all the parties agreed to establish financing schemes within the hotel sector. An investment plan is to be prepared by the time of the Landsting's Autumn Assembly, together with a concrete plan for the projects in which investment is to be made in respect of the '97 Finance Act.

The alpha and omega of experiences

The element of experience is crucial to the success of tourism and the activities and experiences on offer to tourists are to be developed and concentrated primarily on the experiences in which Greenland is at "world champion" level. Examples of these are the inland ice, icebergs, Father Christmas, virgin landscapes, expeditions, traditional kayak sailing, dog sledging, etc. Future investment schemes for entrepreneurs in the tourism sector will interest private companies in expanding these special experiences, with safety, uniqueness and quality being the essential competitive parameters.

Great expectations

At the top of the list is also the expansion of Greenland's transport system and hotel capacity. There will be a basic need for more Atlantic flights to fly in the approx. 61,000 tourists and internationally competitive ticket prices are to be secured.

The investments will be made within hotel-based tourism, where earnings are greatest. With the increasing need for rooms in strategic areas the proposal of a financing scheme for the construction of new hotels and renovation of existing ones is very significant.

Disko Bay is and will continue to be a magnet for tourists, and in the statement it is expected that almost half the expected 61,000 tourists from the year 2005 will come to Disko Bay. At present Disko Bay has a relatively low hotel capacity in Greenlandic terms, but the highest occupancy rate. In contrast, the largest hotels lie in the least visited tourist areas. This pattern is to be corrected and the statement points out the need for an extra 770 rooms, 480 of these in the Disko Bay area.

Two additional grants

The many positive reports from the Landsting and the general confidence in the positive development of tourism was rounded off with two additional grants to Greenland Tourism. The debate reached a full stop with the incorporation of two concrete proposals concerning additional grants, firstly for the purchase of the cruise ship M/S Disko and secondly for investment in new thorough investigations in connection with Apussuit Ski Centre. This large and ambitious ski project has just been given an assurance of foreign capital for preliminary investigations.

Copies of the tourism statement in Danish and Greenlandic may be ordered from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Transport and Supply on tel. +299 2 30 00.


Did you know


- that Greenland once had a tropical climate

- that the mask dance is an Eskimo tradition going back 3000-4000 years

- that the hydroelectric power station in the Bukse fjord in Nuuk is Greenland's largest construction project with the longest cable span in the world

- that Greenland's whales are illustrated on a new range of stamps from the Greenlandic Post Office

- that tourists and permanent residents of Greenland are allowed to kill 700 musk oxen per year in certain licensed areas. The tourist share is approx. 36 animals.

- that in 1995 the Greenlandic airline Greenlandair achieved a new personal record with its highest number of passengers and flying hours ever.


M/S Disko to return to Greenland as a tourist ship

The M/S Disko is to carry tourists along the coast of Greenland again from 1997. For the rest of the year the ship is to be used as a hotel.

On 1 May Greenland's parliament approved an extra grant of around DKK 11 million for Greenland Tourism to buy KNI's cruise ship.

- Sailing along the coast is one of the most obvious tourism products in Greenland, and we are very pleased that the M/S Disko is on her way home, said Kim Folmann Jørgensen, director of Greenland Tourism.

- When the M/S Disko was taken out of the schedule we were bombarded from all sides. Interest in cruise holidays is greater than ever, and with the purchase of the M/S Disko with her cabin space for 70 people we will now have an even better opportunity to create a tourist product which is based on what the tourists want, e.g. with an opportunity for longer stays in the towns. We will take the "Hurtigruten" steamer along the Norwegian coast as an example and address the same target group.

Greenland Tourism will help with the birth

Greenland Tourism does not want to be involved directly on the operational side.

- The intention is that once the project is well under way, the activity will be transferred to an independent company with shares being offered to a wide circle of private investors," Jørgensen said.

However, before the project gets that far at least DKK 10 million in private capital needs to be raised in order to create the necessary basis and optimise the ship for future cruises. Jørgensen does not see this as unrealistic in the light of provisional notifications of interest.

Time horizon

The purchase of the M/S Disko is expected to be in place in May '96 with the concept and detail planning taking place shortly afterwards. The finished concept will be presented to investors in August/September when shares will be offered and marketing will then be started with a view to the 1997 season. The refurbished M/S Disko is expected to arrive in Greenland as a hotel ship in January 1997, continuing as a cruise ship for four months from May 1997.


The role of Greenland Tourism in the future

There was wide political support for Greenland Tourism a/s to continue to manage and co-ordinate the development of tourism in the future. Greenland Tourism will continue to be independent of specific industry interests and will be responsible for the following main functions:

  • overall marketing of Greenland
  • product development and documentation
  • information provider
  • co-ordination of transport needs and initiator of joint solutions
  • establishment of formalised and binding co-operation networks


    Greenland Tourism expands its board

    From 1 September 1996 Jens K. Lyberth will be employed as a director of Greenland Tourism. As a result, the executive board will be made up of Kim Folmann Jørgensen (managing director) and Jens K. Lyberth (director).

    Jens K. Lyberth will be responsible for everyday management in Nuuk and will be responsible for the development of tourism conditions internally in Greenland. Lyberth currently holds the position of Director of Business and Development at Greenlandair with responsibility for implementing a wide range of projects, including the negotiations between SAS and Greenlandair, preparation of the future transport structure, etc. Lyberth is provisionally on secondment to Greenland Tourism for a two-year period.

    - With the employment of Jens K. Lyberth we will be able to strengthen our input considerably. Jens K. Lyberth has a broad-ranging background in both the public and the private sector and we will find good use for his knowledge of transport, which is a key area when it comes to the continued development of tourism, said director Kim Folmann Jørgensen.

    In future Jørgensen will be responsible for the strategic development of tourism and will be directly involved in the marketing department.



    New hotel on Disko Island

    On 1 July 1996 the Hotel Disko will open in Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn). An old trading building has been renovated and eight double rooms with en suite facilities and views of the harbour and mountains will be ready for the summer season guests. Just 100 m from the hotel, the Restaurant Disko (seating approx. 40) is under construction and is expected to be completed during the summer. According to tourism manager Preben Ullitz, there are plans on the drawing board for a further hotel and restaurant to open in summer 1997.

    Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn), with its population of approx. 1100, is the only town on the 8,500 km2 Disko Island, which lies approx. 60 km from Ilulissat (Jakobshavn) in Northern Greenland. The island has been experiencing a healthy boom in tourism since the early nineties. This year Ullitz expects a thousand tourists to visit the island, compared with 193 in 1994 and 750 last summer.

    The major tourist attractions of Disko Island include the steep, high basalt mountains, dog sledge trips in the summer and good opportunities to see whales. In addition, visits to settlements are organised, lasting up to six days, along with midnight sailing trips with a barbecue made up of Greenlandic specialities and many different walking trips.



    New conference and congress organiser in Greenland

    Major events within the field of meetings, incentives and conferences will be the main activities of Greenland Incoming ApS, founded in May 1996.

    Greenland Incoming is based in Nuuk and is owned by Peter G. Rasmussen, who has lived in Greenland for 24 years.

    - I have decided to specialise in a relatively undeveloped area which only a few agencies in Denmark work specifically with, says Peter G. Rasmussen. Rasmussen is responding to demand from both the Danish and foreign market for such a company to be started in Greenland.

    - Being based in Greenland ourselves it will be much easier to serve the MIC visitors' needs and to plan the special events which help to dot the "i" of any MIC event. Greenland Incoming ApS offers total solutions including everything from transport, hotel and conference facilities to board and entertainment.

    Rasmussen has a wide network of contacts in the Greenlandic tourism industry. For many years he worked in the field of civil aviation on both scheduled and charter flights and has spent the past couple of years as production manager at Greenland Tourism a/s.

    Greenland Incoming ApS will cover all of Greenland, but Rasmussen expects many exciting big events in Nuuk in particular when the new House of Culture is complete in 1997.



    Three new offers for touring hikers

    The series of hiking maps of Greenland now includes a hiking map of the Nanortalik area.

    The full series will be published by the end of '96 with a full 25,000 square kilometres then being charted for hikers.

    The Nanortalik map covers one of the most exciting hiking regions and differs from the other areas in that it mainly covers mountainous areas.

    Hiking maps are now available for the Narsaq, Qaqortoq and Vatnaverfi peninsula and Ivittuut in Southern Greenland and Ammassalik in Eastern Greenland.

    The final proofs need to be corrected on the hiking maps of the Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, Nuuk and Ilulissat areas before these are also ready.

    The scale is 1:100,000 and the equidistance 25 metres. The text is in Danish, English and German with a very detailed key which makes it possible to organise trips to suit the equipment and fitness of the individual and the length of the holiday.

    Popular hiking route

    The section between Kangerlussuaq and Sisimiut is one of the classic hikes in Greenland and each year at least 100 hikers venture out into the wilderness on the 180 km long trip. This year the route is being marked for the first time and the cairns will be ready by the time the summer season starts.

    A further cabin will be built during the summer, making a total of four cabins with good facilities on the section. In addition, a brand new canoe centre is being built on the same section approx. 30 km from Kangerlussuaq.

    Canoe centre at Lake Amitsorsuaq

    All the components for building the canoe centre are ready, and during June the 100 m2 canoe centre with overnight accommodation for 10 will be erected. The centre will also have a kitchen, toilets, a lounge and a canoe workshop with equipment such as paddles, lifejackets, etc. 14 canoes each having room for three people will also be available for hire. The canoe centre lies at the eastern end of Lake Amitsorsuaq, which is approx. 30 km long and 1.5 km wide and provides an opportunity for great natural experiences in an area containing many reindeer and grouse. The lake provides a good opportunity to catch local trout.

    All bookings through Sisimiut Tourism A/S on tel. +299 14848, fax: +299 15622.


    News in brief

    A new 16-page pocket-sized conference folder is on the cards from Greenland Tourism a/s
    The conference folder will be issued in English and Danish and will give a presentation of Greenland as an MIC destination, conference facilities, the experiences on offer and a wide range of practical information.

    The German tour operator Arktis Reisen Schehle has opened a new Greenland information department in Kempten in Southern Germany
    The opening is to be seen in the light of an increasing demand for trips to Greenland. Travel offers, travel literature, brochures, maps, etc. will all be available from the agency.

    The first full events calendar for all of Greenland will be published on 1 June
    "Greenland - This Summer" is in English and provides an overview of the summer's activities and events categorised by towns and regions.

    A reminder!
    The invitations to take part in the Vestnorden Travel Mart are on their way. This year the North Atlantic travel fair will be held in Akureyri in Iceland from 3 to 5 September.

    Father Christmas gets a new boss
    As director of the Santa Claus of Greenland Foundation, Andrei Fencker has been appointed the new director of Father Christmas. Andrei Fencker was formerly a director in Greenland's Home Rule government with responsibility for Health, Environmental Affairs, Trade and Research.

    Maternity leave
    Mette Vestergård will be on maternity leave from 15 May and her duties will be taken over by Karin Egede. Karin has worked previously for Greenland Tourism in Nuuk, where she was responsible for the planning and execution of the VNTM '93.


    Co-operation on cruise with a Viking theme


    A four-year co-operation between six North Atlantic countries including Greenland was formalised at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami in March.

    The principal activity of the co-operation will be "Cruising the Viking Trail", a concept created for the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Leif the Lucky's arrival in North America - 500 years before Columbus. The actual 1,000th anniversary is in the year 2000 - hence the logo "Vinland 2000".

    Leif the Lucky reached "Vinland" - much later known as America - after stopping at Iceland and Greenland. According to the ports involved - Copenhagen, Bergen, Trondheim, Torshavn, Reykjavik, St. Johns in Newfoundland and Southern Greenland - this is such an exciting cruise package that it is worthy of note within the cruise tourism industry.

    In concrete terms the co-operating countries will issue a 52-page brochure containing general information on the history of the Vikings, port facilities, tourist-related information and proposed itineraries depending on the type of ship and group. Six pages are devoted to Greenland for the description of selected ports in Southern Greenland, with events being organised at the ports of call.

    The brochure will be on display at the cruise exhibition in Geneva from 17 to 20 September and "Cruising the Viking Trail" will be followed up with a number of press releases. The initiator and co-ordinator is Ägust Ägustsson of the Port of Reykjavik.

    The '96 season will be busy. There is every indication that the season in Greenland this year will be better than expected with more than twice as many cruise ships calling at Greenlandic ports. Greenland Tourism a/s is expecting 84 arrivals compared with 38 in 1995. Søren Thalund, Greenland Tourism's PR manager, was able to report from Miami on the interest shown by many new cruise lines with a view to the '98 and '99 seasons.


    How is the '96 season shaping up?

    It is exceeding all expectations. In my assessment Greenland is now seriously on the scene. Now we just have the problem of getting enough places. Several of our departures are already sold out - particularly the family trekking tours and angling tours.

    Bookings and sales got underway earlier than usual this year and the pressure is still on.
    Niels Krog, TEAM ARCTIC

    Things are looking good this year. We have noticed a clear increase in interest in the Greenland products and a substantial increase in sales of trips to Southern Greenland in particular.
    Steen Rohdemeier,
    Arctic Adventure

    Sales are going well in Denmark, but are only just living up to our expectations in Norway and Sweden. We were hoping for a particularly good response to our Narsarsuaq offers with departures from Iceland sailing back directly from Greenland to Copenhagen. Greenland is not a "last minute getaway" and it took some years for Iceland to become integrated into Swedish and Norwegian agencies. However, experience from this year makes us optimistic for '97.
    Mogens Gislinge,
    Profil Rejser

    We have already sold more trips than last year in connection with conferences, incentives and ad hoc arrangements. The holiday travel products are slightly more touch and go, however. All in all there is a slight increase, equal to the increase last year.
    Tom Jensen, Vejle Rejser

    The '96 season is shaping up incredibly well. Sales will be considerably up on '95. We have sold over two thirds of our summer trips and received notification from several people wanting to go on trips next year. The number of individually organised tours, where we put together a programme to suit the particular wishes of the customer, has doubled.
    Hans Grønkjær,
    Polar Rejser

    Sales of hiking products are at about the same level as last year. However, we have noticed an increase in connection with ad hoc groups. Our big problem is the bottlenecks in the flight system. We have had to turn down several groups because of a lack of seats on flights.
    Karin Jensen,
    Grønlands Rejsebureau


    Freak Greenland weather

    The organisers of the '96 Arctic Circle Race decided at the 11th hour to cancel the 160 km long ski-race, which was to have been held for the first time.

    The reason behind the decision was the unusually mild and changeable winter weather. According to climatologist Stig Rosenørn of the Danish Meteorological Institute, such atypical weather with very little snow and temperature fluctuations from -25 degrees one day to +11 degrees the next have not been witnessed in the Kangerlussuaq region for 15 years.

    "All the major races have had to be cancelled due to the weather conditions," said Kim Folmann Jørgensen. "Obviously it is incredibly annoying to have to do so in its first year, but the race was very well received in the international skiing world and we have experienced such great media interest that we will be back on track next year."

    Neither have the skiers lost their courage. Several of this year's participants have registered for next year's race. The Arctic Circle Race '97 will be held from 7 to 14 April next year and the concept will be the same: 160 km over three days from Kangerlussuaq near the inland ice to Sisimiut by the sea with two overnight stops camping in tents along the way.


    This year's tourism prize


    Mette Geisler of Nuuk was this year's recipient of Greenland Tourism's tourism prize. She was awarded the prize and a cheque for DKK 10,000 for her work promoting Greenlandic art and crafts. The prize is awarded each year to a person, business or organisation which works for the benefit of tourism in Greenland.

    This year the prize was presented by Peter Grønvold Samuelsen, a member of Greenland's government, who emphasised in his speech that Mette Geisler not only promotes Greenlandic art and crafts but also plays a major part in giving tourists the opportunity to experience and buy craft products at reasonable prices.

    The prize-winner has 20 years' experience of trading within the field of crafts. She only invests in selling quality products and since she is in constant dialogue with the artists, is able to make demands of quality and provide inspiration for new products.


    Hunting for ruby-red tugtupite

    The tour operator TEAM ARCTIC will be testing a brand new product this summer when 8 stone collectors travel to Narsaq, Ivittuut and Arsuk in Southern Greenland. The main attraction of the trip is to search for gemstones and minerals which are found in generous quantities in these particular areas.

    "These three areas are nothing short of a paradise for stone collectors, and we believe we have found a niche with great possibilities," said Niels Krog, co-owner of TEAM ARCTIC. "There is growing interest in stone fairs and stone polishing both in Denmark and abroad, and naturally it is a very special experience to find the stones in the wild. And in such virgin wilds that nobody has been there before."

    Ruby-red tugtupite is very rare and is found only in Greenland and in the Kula peninsula. In addition, there will be an opportunity to find many other rare gemstones and over 100 different minerals.

    TEAM ARCTIC has been given official permission for each guest to take home a limited amount of minerals and gemstones free. The group will be led by a guide and geologist familiar with stones and in addition to gemstones and minerals there will be opportunities to see seals, whales, mountain hares, arctic foxes and grouse in what is possibly the most fertile landscape in Southern Greenland. The trip lasts a week and includes several sailing trips. Accommodation will be at Narsaq Farm House and in Ivittuut.

    The product was developed in co-operation with the cryolite company Kryolitselskapet and the Danish Polar Centre and will be advertised at the big international stone fair in Copenhagen's Forum on 19-20 October 1996. The well-known Greenlandic artist Christian Rosing has agreed to do some stone polishing on the Greenlandic stand, where other arts and crafts from Greenland will also be on display.


    Wishes granted on the Internet

    One page of the Greenland Guide on the Internet is devoted to users who want specific motifs of Greenland. Greenland Tourism is inviting surfers to choose the pictures themselves. And with Greenland Tourism's 800 digital motifs of Greenland, most wishes should be granted.


    Editors:
    Søren Thalund (editor responsible)
    Mette Vestergård

    Circulation:
    1,200 Danish
    500 Greenlandic
    1,200 English
    1,000 German

    The next issue will be out in August.

    Product development, advice, documentation:
    Greenland Tourism a/s
    P.O. Box 1552
    Hans Egedesvej 29
    DK-3900 Nuuk
    Tel.: +299 22 888
    Fax: +299 22 877

    E-mail: greenland.tourism@greennet.gl
    Internet: http://www.greenland-guide.dk/gt/

    Marketing, information, distribution:
    Greenland Tourism a/s
    P.O. Box 1139
    Pilestræde 52
    DK-1010 Copenhagen K
    Tel.: +45 33 13 69 75
    Fax: +45 33 93 38 83

    E-mail: greenfo@inet.uni-c.dk
    Internet: http://www.greenland-guide.dk/gt/


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